‘The Seekers?’
‘Not the singing group.’
‘Nineteen-ninety-nine?’
‘That’s the day the world ends.’
‘Ararat?’
‘Splinter group of nineteen-ninety-nine. Where Noah’s ark fetched up. Working with a group called the Revelations, high up in the Sierras. Building a boat for the next flood.’
‘They could be right. According to Professor Benson of CalTech a large chunk of California is going to disappear into the Pacific. They may have to wait a bit though — million years, give or take. Ah, now. This is more like it. Group over a hundred strong. Established only eight months. The Temple of Allah.’
‘Muslims. Also operating out of Sierra Nevada, but not quite so high up. Forget them. They’ve been checked out too.’
‘Still. Carlton’s a religious nut —’
‘You call a Muslim a nut, you have to call a Christian one too.’
‘Carltom’s landlady’s phrase. She probably thinks anyone who crosses a church door a nut. Morro
‘And Christians. Spent nineteen-seventy-six wiping each other out. I’ve been up that blind alley, Sergeant. Morro could be Indian. Carlton’s been in New Delhi. Hindu, not Muslim. Or Morro could be south-east Asia. So Carlton’s been to Singapore, Hong Kong and Manila. First two — if anything — are Buddhist, third is Catholic. Or Japan — Carlton’s been there, Morro may have been. Shintoism. You can’t just pick the religion that fits your theory — and there’s no record of Carlton ever having been in Beirut. I told you, this place has been checked out. Chief of Police swears by them —’
‘That’s enough for an immediate arrest warrant.’
‘Not every police chief is a Donahure. This man — Curragh — is widely respected. The Governor of California is their patron. They’ve given two million — I repeat, two million — to charity. Open to the public —’
Ryder held up a hand. ‘All right, all right. Point taken. Where does this bunch of paragons hang out?’
‘Some kind of castle. Adlerheim, it’s called.’
‘I know it. Been there, in fact. Brainchild of some wealthy crank called Von Streicher.’ He paused. ‘Muslim or not anybody who lives there has to be a nut.’ He paused again, longer this time, made as if to speak then clearly changed his mind.
Leroy said: ‘Sorry I can’t help you more.’
‘Thanks. I’ll take those lists if I may. Along with my earthquake studies — they’re bound to lead me to point zero.’
Parker led the way to the car. In a quiet voice Jeff said to Ryder: ‘Come on, out with it. What were you about to say in there that you didn’t?’
‘When you consider the size of this State the Adlerheim is only a stone’s throw from Bakersfield. That’s where LeWinter’s mysterious phone call came from.’
‘Could mean something?’
‘Could mean that I’m still in a far-fetched mood tonight. Be interesting to find out whether there’s a direct line from the castle to Bakersfield.’
On the way out to the suburbs Ryder briefed Parker as exhaustively as he could.
South Maple was short, straight, tree-lined, pleasant and quiet, all the houses of the pseudo-Spanish- Moroccan architectural design so popular in the south. Two hundred yards short of his destination Ryder pulled up behind a black unmarked car, got out and walked forward. The man sitting behind the wheel glanced interrogatively at Ryder.
Ryder said: ‘You must be George Green.’
‘And you must be Sergeant Ryder. Office called me.’
‘Listen in to her phone all the time?’
‘Don’t have to. Very educated little bug.’ He tapped the square base of his telephone. ‘When she lifts her phone this little box goes tinkle-tinkle. Automatic recorder, too.’
‘We’re going to have a word with her and going to find an excuse to leave her for a minute. She may put a panic call through in our absence.’
‘I’ll have it for you.’
Bettina Ivanhoe lived in a surprisingly nice house, small, not on the scale of Donahure’s or LeWinter’s homes, but large enough to provoke the thought that for a twenty-one-year-old secretary she was doing surprisingly well for herself — or someone was doing surprisingly well for her. She answered the door bell and looked apprehensively at the three men.
‘Police officers,’ Parker said. ‘Could we have a word with you?’
‘Police officers? Yes, I suppose so. I mean, of course.’
She led the way to a small sitting-room and tucked her legs under her while the three men took an armchair apiece. She looked sweet and demure and proper, but that wasn’t anything much to go by; she’d looked sweet and demure if hardly proper when she’d been lying chained to LeWinter in his bed.
‘Am I — am I in any kind of trouble?’
‘We hope not.’ Parker had a deep booming voice, one of those rare voices that could sound hearty, reassuring and ominous all at the same time. ‘We’re just looking for any information that will help us. We’re investigating allegations — they’re more than that, I’m afraid — of widespread and illegal bribery involving foreigners and several high-placed individuals in public services in this State. A year or two back the South Koreans were giving away millions, seemingly out of the goodness of their hearts.’ He sighed. ‘And now the Russians are at it. You will understand that I can’t be more specific’
‘Yes. Yes, I understand.’ Clearly she didn’t understand at all.
‘How long have you lived here?’ The hearty reassurance in his voice had gone all diminuendo.
‘Five months.’ The apprehension was still there but it had been joined by a certain wariness. ‘Why?’
‘Asking questions is my job.’ Parker looked around leisurely. ‘Very nice place you have here. What’s your job, Miss Ivanhoe?’
‘I’m a secretary.’
‘How long?’
‘Two years.’
‘Before that?’
‘School. San Diego.’
‘University of California?’ A nod. ‘You left?’ Another nod.
‘Why did you leave?’ She hesitated. ‘Don’t forget, we can check all this out. Failed grades?’
‘No. I couldn’t afford to —’
‘You couldn’t afford to?’ Parker looked around again. ‘Yet in two years, a secretary, a beginner, really, you can afford to live here? Your average secretary has to make do with a single room in the beginning. Or live with her parents.’ He tapped his forehead lightly. ‘Of course. Your parents. Must be very understanding folk. Not to say generous.’
‘My parents are dead.’
‘I am sorry.’ He didn’t sound sorry. ‘Then somebody must have been very generous.’
‘I haven’t been charged with anything.’ She compressed her lips and swung her feet to the floor. ‘I’ll not answer another question until I’ve talked to my lawyer.’
‘Judge LeWinter is not answering the phone today. He’s got lumbago.’ This got to her. She sunk back against the cushions, looking oddly vulnerable and defenceless. She could have been acting but probably was not. If Parker felt a twinge of pity he didn’t show it. ‘You’re Russian, aren’t you?’
‘No. No. No.’
‘Yes, yes, yes. Where were you born?’
‘Vladivostok.’ She’d given up.
‘Where are your parents buried?’
‘They’re alive. They went back to Moscow.’
